Posted on 07/21/2021 8:45:31 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
I’m on the first big cruise ship to sail to Alaska in nearly 2 years.
As I look around, I count just two other passengers on the ground level of the room. A few more are in the balcony spaces above. Nearly all the clusters of chairs that fill the Centrum are unoccupied.
Last night, as I was dining at the ship’s Italian eatery, Giovanni’s Table, I noticed at one point that the entire staff was attending just to my table and one other table that was occupied.
A Royal Caribbean executive this week told me that there are about 630 passengers on board for this sailing. This for a ship that can hold up to 2,476 passengers when full to the brim.
For starters, passengers must wear masks for now in the interior spaces of the ship. And some areas of the ship — the casino, for instance, and the pub — are off-limits to passengers who aren’t vaccinated for COVID-19.
In addition, travel parties with unvaccinated passengers are not allowed to leave the ship in ports unless they purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean.
Passengers who aren’t vaccinated are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal and an antigen test for COVID-19 onboard the ship near the end of the voyage.
Passengers under the age of 2 are exempt from the testing requirements.
Despite the new mask-wearing rule on the ship and other COVID-19-related changes, the basic cruise experience feels relatively normal. As noted above, the most noticeable difference right now with the cruise experience on Serenade of the Seas as compared to pre-COVID times is that the ship is unusually empty.
In addition, the Windjammer restaurant is closed at dinnertime.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
At a point I can imagine that they’d need to run some cruises just to make sure everything is ship shape with equipment, procedures, and crew.
And while operating at a loss they can still write it down on the ledger.
Maybe they should consider keeping Democrats off the ships then, the Texas Fleabaggers who fled to DC were vaxed and still transmitted Covid-19 to each other and someone else.
I predict that there will of course be positive tests from some passengers when returning home. And I’ll bet the store, they’ll be from vaccinated ones too.
This is a temporary restart I’m afraid to admit.
There has to be a plan to treat the positive testing passengers, onboard, and simply accept whether false positive or true, most people will not be dying, just the ‘new facts of life’
Where did you sail out of and did you have to be vaccinated? I am cruising out of settle and am holding off on a vaccine i do not want but am kind of comitted
“Their ship, their rules. Don’t want to comply then don’t go”
Their loss of revenue also.
Like I said in my original post...I won’t be anytime soon as long as this silly mess is goin’ on.
Keelhauled.
But there is a database of vaccinations. After all, who pays for the shot and the nurses’ time?
All shots are recorded through an insurance company or a “community” clinic. The records are sent upstream for reimbursement, which seems to ultimately come from the federal government.
Property insurance claims are typically gathered into a CLUE report, managed by Lexus Nexis. Health insurance claims reports are handled by Medical Information Bureau (MIB), the biggest of the health care brokers.
I understand that the linking ability to gather your vaccination information and tie it into your personal health records is getting close, no matter who your insurance provider is. After all, I get a reminder to get my shot on every log in to my insurance provider.
Or it may be already there and just not publicized at all.
Man, now’s the time to take a cruise!
“Despite the new mask-wearing rule on the ship and other COVID-19-related changes, the basic cruise experience feels relatively normal.”
Except for that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
The Point Guy makes a living when you cruise !!
If you stay in hiding at home, the ‘Guy’ starves.
What slant do you expect ?
“To my knowledge there is no database,”
How’s the weather there in Fool’s Paradise? Of COURSE there’s a database! And if the cruise industry is co-conspirator in the sham, then of COURSE they can see the database, compliments of the CDC or CCP.
Every video clip and still shot of ghouls giving shots, each ghoul is carrying a clipboard and pen. Database.
You have a right to not be vaccinated as much as the cruise lines have a right to run their business as they see fit.
If you don't like their rules, don't go. It's that simple. Stop whining about how your choice to not be vaccinated and the consequences of it, conflict with the cruise lines' rules to board and cruise. Your constant whining makes you look like another Karen on here.
Finally, if Carnival wants to go broke running their cruise line at 25% capacity because people choose not to go with Carnival's current rules, that's on Carnival. Stop whining like a Karen when you're actually getting what you want (Cruise lines going broke.)
Sheesh already.
Big boat charter market is going gangbusters right now. I believe even the small and medium-sized yachts are chartering very well. I wonder how that will be impacted - positively or negatively - with the resumption of scheduled cruise lines.
FWIW, we have a group of college friends that get together for vacation every 2-years. The first year, we went on a cruise. It wasn’t great It’s a floating hotel with mediocre food, IMO. The next time, we chartered a modest yacht. That was great and we’ve been doing it for the last 14-years. Is it more? Perhaps a bit, particularly if you’re comparing the cost to a budget cruise line. But, it’s probably around the same price of 1st class on Viking or Seaborne.
In addition, travel parties with unvaccinated passengers are not allowed to leave the ship in ports unless they purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean.
Passengers who aren’t vaccinated are required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal and an antigen test for COVID-19 onboard the ship near the end of the voyage.
—
That sounds like fun. No wonder the ship isn’t full.
Never have been interested in a Cruise ship. Too many people in a small place and nowhere to escape to.
No doubt.
If Cruise Lines don't use their ships they are operating at a loss also, and cruise ships as collateral are practically worthless now, since all the Cruise Lines are having the same problem simultaneously, and have new ships on order.
In the past many cruise ships were sold Line to Line, now only a few are sold that way, and the "scrappers" get the remainder for pennies on the dollar.
Used Cruise ships have become white elephants. - Tom
At least the new alcohol and sugar concoction they offer will help reduce your immune function.
“Who wants to drop $2k on a trip only to have to wear a diaper on your face half the time.”
Exactly.
I’d love to go back to Europe, but I’m not sitting in airports and on planes for 12 plus hours with a mask on my face, just to get there. And please have your paperwork in order.
If Royal Caribbean wants to run their business like this, okay. But I’m not buying a ticket. For a plane, a boat, a bus or Disney World.
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